Untouchable
by Heise
Summary: Perhaps no longer heiress, Hinata gets herself kidnapped. Being locked up in a tower with no escape allows even Hinata to get to know her captor.
1. Chapter 1

How long was she here? Her captor wouldn't say.

She had dug marks into the foot of her bed for each sunset she felt. But it was difficult – she could not see the sunsets – she had to feel them.

"_I have disabled the pathways in your optic nerves."_

She never knew how much she depended on her sight until she lost it … she wondered if this feeling of loss and frustration was also amplified by the fact that she was a Hyuuga, and her sight was a part of her identity. She has always been scared of becoming near-sighted or sustaining eye injuries … her little mountain of failures didn't need to have "eye-problems" to top it off.

Now she was blind.

She lifted her hands to delicately brush against the skin on her upper arms. The skin there was sensitive, especially around a thin bangle. These were chakra restraints her captor had attached onto her ankles and upper arms. When she tried to fix her blinded eyes, the flare of chakra would signal the restraints to react by immediately draining the chakra she used.

This went on for awhile, weakening her severely as she attempted again, and again, and again. The skin was raw and numb around the bangles on her ankles and her bicep. She wished her chakra reserves were more impressive.

"_The more you indulge the restraints, the more efficient they will become at their job_."

She wondered if she had mistaken cloudy days for long nights. She also tried to tell between the sounds of the night and the sounds of the day. She was getting better. There are five tentative hashes on the foot of her bed. She has been here for nearly a week.

The first day, she had explored her prison after her captor left. She was in a large, circular room – there was one door to the bathroom and one window. The floor below her was wooden, smooth, and clear of dust. There was little furniture but a king-sized bed, a table, and a chair. She had searched along the walls, feeling for another door, perhaps a trap, but … there were none.

Then she had gone to the window. It was when she had taken the vase on his table, filled it with water for weight, out the window that she realized she was very stranded, indeed. She couldn't hear a crash.

Hinata was locked up in a tower.

* * *

What could she be worth without her sight? What could she be worth without her chakra? He would not divulge his intentions. She had tried to ask – what was she here for? Experiments and research, battles and her skill, secrets and knowledge … but he denied them all.

If her father could see her now! She was blind, helpless, and dependent upon her captor. He would be ashamed …

She wondered if he cared she was gone. She doubted he would expend much effort in her recovery … she did not want to think about it. It was hard to think about her father.

Several months ago, she attended a docile meeting to speak of removing her title as heiress. She had always seen it coming … but to be thrust into that strange meeting where they expected her to defend her title was surreal. Practicing her diplomatic answers, she had been inwardly floundering for composure – she ended up agreeing with most of the council members. But compared to the norm, it was an incredibly harmless interview.

"_You have shown little improvement in your overall skill. Of the rookie nine, you are the member of the least growth, wouldn't you agree?"_

How was she supposed to reply to that?

Yes – I agree I'm the weakest of my generation. No – there are ones even weaker than me. I don't know –I haven't been monitoring my growth compared to the rest of my peers.

The first answer was a stupid pushover's, the second answer was an arrogant coward's, and the third answer was a lie.

She went for the tentative "Maybe".

"_Would you prefer to step down from being the heiress and hand off your responsibilities to the Hyuuga anytime soon?"_

"_I … am prepared for relinquishing the honor of my title if it is the clan's will. But I … I won't abandon my burdens out of sheer impulse. That is not my ninja way."_

Just not too long ago, she had seen Hanabi escorted to a separate meeting, and just then, she had known.

She wasn't told of the contents of Hanabi's particular meeting, but she just knew.

The precarious state of her position in the clan was a hushed up affair. Her friends didn't know and guiltily, she hoped they still didn't.

It doesn't really matter now.

Sleepily, she wondered if this was why she had been kidnapped. She was unacknowledged, untalented, and she technically wasn't even the heiress. The timing was excellent – she was vulnerable and far less protected than usual.

Digging her head into one of the pillows on the bed, her mind hardly registered its clean, soapy smell as she curled up inside the covers.

* * *

She cannot stay here. There was no other route. Stifled by her own inactivity, she hung at the window, trying to bring herself to be brave enough to continue the climb down.

It was an understatement to call it difficult. She was blind – she was without chakra – she had no idea how high the tower was – this was a ridiculous idea – the wind was blowing … she trampled all these thoughts and just focused on her breathing.

She had descended what seemed to be two meters and hope had rekindled, burning steadily in her chest – she was going to be okay. She just had to keep going. And eventually, she would get down, down to the ground, and … well, she'll think about what to do when she gets there.

Heart pumping, continued. Then her feet slipped.

And down she plunged.


	2. Chapter 2

"You are trying to kill yourself."

"N-No!"

She had been saved at the last minute by her captor. She was embarrassed to realize that her anger and fear was overridden by the relief and gratitude.

"Your actions indicate either suicidal tendencies or stupendous ignorance." His voice was sonorous and nearly bored. It reminded her a bit of Neji.

Hinata flushed hotly at his words, feeling a blush paint her face. A moment of silence reigned with the backdrop of the rain outside the window. It was a rainy season.

"...Stupendous ignorance it is." Even his insult was in monotone, like Neji's would be.

If she was anything less than Hinata, she would have stomped to her captor and attempted to hit him. As it was … she just frowned. She was a captured Hyuuga, what else did he expect? Blind or not, weakened or not, in a tower or not, of course she was going try to escape.

As soon as he left her, she was going to try again.

Her captor was currently stocking a large cupboard in the room with food. Well she wasn't going to touch it.

Her stomach growled loudly, almost as if protesting at that thought. Swallowing her humiliation, she closed her eyes as her brow twitched at the heat in her cheeks.

Something cold was set on her lap and her fingers twitched around it. It was a plate, heavy with something.

"Strawberries," he explained.

_Strawberries?_ Hinata wondered. _There can't be strawberries at this time of the year._

"They are foreign." Then he went back to restocking her cupboard. Hinata tightened her grip on the plate in her lap and then picked up a strawberry and bit into it.

Before she knew it, she had clumsily eaten half of the plate's contents. She could feel her hands stained and sticky with juice. She had attempted to stay pristine – at least she didn't get too much on her face.

They were amazing. Utterly amazing – these strawberries must have been picked from the field in heaven or something.

Ignoring her embarrassment at her shamelessness – she had originally wanted to go on a hunger strike, after all – she ended up finishing the strawberries.

In silence, her captor finished restocking her cupboard and then she heard it close. Something was pressed into her hand – a napkin. Her plate was gently taken from her lap and placed somewhere. Something light and soft plopped onto her lap. Surprised, she wiped her hands with the napkin dazedly.

"You will have to change out of your clothes. There are more in the cupboard. They all look the same."

She held up the clothing and felt it to be a dress because it was all in one piece and it was longer than a shirt. She then held it down and turned to the direction of her captor.

"Why … why are you doing this?" Hinata pressed again, quietly, shy from the attention. He had given her food, treated her kindly though a bit rude, and now clothes. But nothing in life was for free. "You're not after … anything I could offer you. Why … why all of … this?"

Then there was a silence. She waited for an answer, staring into the blackness at his direction. It felt like he was going to tell her this time …

"Abandon all notions of escape. I will return in the morning. In the meanwhile, please refrain from attempting to kill yourself. Without your chakra, Byakugan, and your sight, you are hardly a ninja. I won't be around and you can't save yourself."

He strode over to the window and she could hear him step onto the window skill. Then he took a quiet leap and disappeared.


	3. Chapter 3

There was the smell promising fulfillment and goodness …

Her stomach woke before she did. Hinata cracked open her eyes. A sense of dark fear arose at the blackness of her vision until she remembered she was blind …

Hinata sleepily pulled herself up. A curious nose lifted to the fragrance of the food.

"You're finally awake," a voice said beside the bed. Hinata yelped, backing away and bumping her head on the headboard. Stifling a whimper, she rubbed the bruise forming on her back of her head.

"You appeared to be unconscious. Then I made ramen and now I see … the smell of food wakes you more efficiently than any volume of my voice." His voice was impassive and monotone as if imparting a mere observation.

"How … How did you make ramen? There's no hot water in here …" Hinata sniffed, her eyes watering from the sting on her head.

"I made it at the foot of the tower."

Hinata slid off the edge of the bed. She dared to ask a hesitant, "U-Um, h-how far up are we, captor-san?"

"Quite far."

A hand silently took her arm and pulled her into a chair. She removed her hand from her head and gently brushed her fingers against her the raw skin around her biceps. The sensation was numb and distant.

Something was nudged in her hand and she took it. A fork. Another hand took her wrist and brought her hand to the table. His hands were neither soft nor small …

Her fingers brushed against something hot and wet – the ramen.

Oh, it was so warm and so satiating, just the perfect combination of salt and spices … her stomach urged her to ravage the bowl like Uzumaki Naruto and she couldn't just refuse its commands, not in front of this divine meal. She pulled herself up to the table and drew around the bowl for noodles with her fork.

She was wearing the dress, made of a soft, cottony material that reached above her knees. The neckline was wide but modest and the sleeves were long and light.

Finishing her ramen, she reached around the table and felt a cold, perspiring cup. Taking the freezing plastic with both hands, she tipped it carefully to her mouth. Cool, tangy orange juice entered her lips. She closed her eyes approvingly and she registered once again the strangeness of the shiftless black in her vision.

She gulped the chilling liquid down her throat.

When she finished her drink, she set it down and rubbed her belly.

"Where did my vase go?"

Hinata flushed. "O-Oh … that was … when you were gone and I was … the tower … the window … experiment … um, I'm sorry about that, b-but I needed to know …"

He seemed to understand the explanation and apology in her jumble and gave a small, "Hnn …"

Then she caught herself – why was she apologizing to him? It didn't make any sense. She just did so instinctively … Something pressed a napkin was into her hands. He began walking away … She wiped her face vigorously and stumbled out of the chair to follow him.

"W-wait a minute!"

Hinata unquestioningly followed the sound of the tap water in the bathroom. She walked into the wall with a loud thud, knocking her face into the wood slash bricks slash concrete.

With a painful flush on her face, Hinata felt her way along the wall to the doorway of the bathroom. She clutched onto the frame of the doorway, rubbing her forehead and nose.

"Wh-what am I doing here? If I fulfill my purpose, will you let me go? I am not going to sit here for the rest of my life! Take me home!"

Her captor turned off the water. A moment of silence reigned, with just the tap dripping its final drops.

Hinata held her breath. She had just offered to carry out her purpose to him – in exchange for her return home. She had just blurted it out by accident, but … what an unthinking thing to say. She sounded so immature …

Hinata stared in what she thought was his direction. He was silent.

And then he spoke. "You do not mourn your eyes. Why is that?"

Hinata's eyes widened at his question. Her chest tightened. "Th-that's not true…"

In the pressing silence, Hinata felt her words, her tone, her expression, and her body language were being absorbed, analyzed, and judged. Suddenly, she felt a familiar terror. She felt like she was being seen-through.

"So the rumors are true. You do not have the personality to be a ninja … or a Hyuuga. Much less the heiress to the clan."

Hinata shifted uncomfortably, feeling numb and desiring to hear no further.

"W-wait … y-you're changing the subject. This is … y-you're the one who kidnapped me. I-I never told you I was a g-good candidate … So … if I'm such a horrible Hyuuga, you should … probably return me … to Konoha."

"No, you are the best candidate …" he murmured at her words.

"For what?" Hinata asked urgently. She was exasperated by his immovable reticence on the subject. "Tell me! There is nothing I could offer you! I'm not a good ninja, I'm not a good Hyuuga – and now … now, I am probably not the heiress! You can't kidnap me for ransom, and you don't want my eyes! Can't you see?"

_…That no one needs me!_

A silence followed her outburst, and once again, Hinata felt like he was going to tell her.

"I see. Then I have chosen well. You wish to be wanted, Hyuuga Hinata. Then as you wish, you shall be."

"…Wh … what …?"

Did he just say _he _wanted her? She tried to find the joke funny, but she couldn't. He sounded like Neji sincerely trying to use a pick-up line and fairly failing. Hinata ignored her flush and peered into the darkness not for the first time. She really, really wanted to see his face.

He remained silent. He had this habit of not speaking right before he could say something interesting. Hinata frowned. All ninja skills aside, Hinata wasn't stupid. If only she could read his body language. Her captor seemed like the kind of guy who'd be useless in verbally communicating his emotions.

"Why have you blinded me?" she blurted. What is the use, really? _He knows I can't escape. _I _know I can't escape._

And then he spoke again.

"I … wonder about your reaction to your blindness."

Hinata blinked, caught off guard.

"Any other Hyuuga I know … in fact, any other doujutsu user, would consider themselves unworthy of living without their eyes. And yet … you can be so indifferent to this loss," he said almost speculatively.

A stab of pain throbbed inside Hinata. Unconsciously, a wrist began pressing defensively to her chest, fingers curling and shoulders tensing.

And then the atmosphere became minutely colder.

"You take no pride in your blood. Perhaps that is why the Hyuuga takes so little pride in you … Hyuuga Hinata."

Hinata looked up, her mouth parting and then pausing. She was unable to find anything to say that was honest, not pointedly defensive, or remotely intelligent. She couldn't blame any of her shortcomings on her spiteful and genius cousin … her more capable sister … her unforgiving upbringing … her head lowered again, and she felt tears falling from her eyes.

Her captor avoided her as he passed her. She stayed at the doorway of the bathroom.

"You appear to have some food left. Please keep in mind I am not returning later. Ration your indulgences." She heard him walk to the window with his quiet steps …

"Also, try not to hurt yourself. I mean that in the least sarcastic way."

* * *

Hinata lay on her stomach in the softness of the large bed. Her face turned to the right. She knew the window was to her left … it was almost as if she didn't want her captor to see her expression if he came back. She knew he would do as he said, and he wouldn't be back in a while, but it just didn't feel well to face the window where he could return.

Hinata has lived a humbling life, so she thought she was used to humiliation. It seemed the universe hasn't run out of juice just yet.

Numbness spread through her body as if it were something in her bloodstream. She couldn't control the wetness leaking out of her eyes and into the bed.

His words hadn't stung her … as much as they had slammed her. She was still reeling from what he said. She could hear the impression run through her mind over and over again, but she tried not to recall his words. She wanted to save at least the last few shreds of her self-esteem from the abasement.

In a roundabout manner, he had told her she was wanted only by a kidnapper with mysterious intentions and that she should stop wallowing in self-pity because it was all her fault.

She was upset. She couldn't tell if it was because she was angry of such an audacious accusation or if it was because she was guilty that it was true.

Was it true? Her eyes were wet and hot, a shameful hardness stuck in her throat. Could that be why she was no longer heiress? It didn't matter that she was trying with all her might, that she didn't complain, ever, even when she could have died … perhaps she was just not the personality for the Hyuuga.

But she had wanted it.

Perhaps not always, not in the beginning … and perhaps not with the vehemence her peers wanted the things they wanted … but she had wanted it.

_I'm trying!_

But it was not enough.


	4. Chapter 4

Hinata took several warm baths through the next two days. She didn't like baths. There was a shower head, but she couldn't figure out how to use it, because she couldn't see. Every time she prodded and fixed the knobs, the water always rush out into the tub from the lower faucet.

Mostly she would lay in bed. She wished she had some entertainment. She wished she didn't have these contemptible restraints on her limbs. She wished she was home. She wished she could see.

She couldn't forget her captor's words, or at least, the impression of his scolding. There was plenty of time and solitude for her to mull over what he said … It made her feel guilty, the more she thought about it.

Just a little bit … she had been okay with her blindness.

She sighed, exasperated with herself and her captor. He had left her here on that disastrous note, inviting her into the wasteland of self-loathing and depression. But she wouldn't let herself become senseless with self-pity – she was going to come out the other end unscathed.

She knew her blindness wasn't permanent, even though he didn't tell her outright. She knew her own eyes better than anyone. He had merely nullified the chakra pathways – it was a completely reversible effect.

As she was stumbling to the cupboard for some water, Hinata heard footsteps walking slowly up the tower's walls.

She could hear him pulling himself inside. He normally gave a leap through the window and landed into the room. She turned to face his direction. It sounded like he was settling down in front of the window, almost as if too taxed to go further. But his breathing seemed fine – well, it was undetectable as usual.

She pulled out a water bottle from the cupboard.

"W-would you … like one?"

"No," he said with a hoarse voice. She looked up quickly at the sound. He cleared his throat.

She stumbled her way back to the bed. He stayed where he was … her sensitivity to chakra could feel a sedating feeling concentrated in the direction where he was sitting. He must be meditating.

"How long will I be staying here?" she ventured quietly.

"You're not leaving anytime soon," he said, and this time his voice was smooth as ever.

Then Hinata thought she heard a small noise. It sounded like …

Then she heard rustling as her captor shifted and uncapped some things. She could hear a clattering of small beads or pills and an uncapping of a larger container, like a cup.

After a long silence, Hinata smelled something faintly aromatic in the air.

She blinked. _Hibiscus?_

"A-are you okay?"

"What?" he said coldly.

Hinata flinched, but she fretted. She wasn't hearing things.

Her stoic captor had stifled a cough.

"You're sick," She blurted.

She held her breath and body still for awhile, wondering what her captor would do to her.

"You're pretty observant," it wasn't sarcastic but it wasn't quite a compliment either.

_Oh dear._ All she knew how to do was flounder. Hinata bit her lip, trying not to feel awkward at this revelation. Should she be glad – but … she wasn't – should she pity – no, NO he will get angry, they always do – what should she do? She floundered.

"I heal here. None of my enemies … know about this place," he paused, and she heard the almost silenced sound of liquid swishing in a container.

"No one knows where this is. Your village will have an impossible time trying to find you."

Hinata frowned, but not at the very last statement.

"E-everyone is your enemy? That can't be true..."

He paused at her words.

"I am hated," he said flatly, though he also sounded far away.

Something stirred inside Hinata at his reply. It was … strange. She really wanted to see his face, again. The acerbic critiques of her person aside, her captor turned out to be a very intriguing guy. She blinked in his direction with bemused, beguiled eyes.

"Who are you?" she breathed.

"I am someone you should fear."

Hinata wilted, finding his response to be unsatisfactory.

* * *

Hinata woke sometime later to find that she had fallen asleep. She sat up, smelling hibiscus tea in the air.

_He is still here…_

Hinata slowly slid off the bed and furtively walked into the bathroom to rinse her face. When she came out of the bathroom, she headed to the cupboard for another bottle of water.

She sat down on the bed, hugging the bottle to her chest, fidgeting with it. The hibiscus tea was very strong. His headache might be very powerful, since he was still here. But drowning himself high on hibiscus wasn't a very smart thing to do …

"U-um," Hinata began. She paused, feeling awkward.

_But … he is in pain …_

"Y-you know ... hibiscus ... um ... actually … lavender oil is more soothing ... n-not to drink of course, but um … if you're in pain … or-or with a headache …"

After a moment of unreadable silence, Hinata could hear her captor pull himself up. He immediately left the tower through without another word. The quickness made Hinata blink.

* * *

He returned about two hours later, as wordless as when he left.

Hinata smelled lavender in the air.

"W-would you like me to massage you?"

"...No."

She gave a small cough at his pause.

* * *

She had a feeling she knew who he was … or at least she might have heard of him. Otherwise, it wouldn't matter if he just revealed his identity. She could try to narrow down potential criminal ninjas who would want to capture her. There was quite a number. Bloodline limits – especially doujutsu – and in particular, the Byakugan – were targets for research or military weaponry. At her age, she can't be honed and brainwashed to become a weapon for another power – at her age … she was often targeted for research and experiments. But her captor said that wasn't what she was here for ...

She should stop scratching her head over it. And he could be lying. But there's no reason to lie about something like that. So what would a ninja need her for? He was … sick. She was surprised.

She wondered _how_ sick he was. Pills and pain relievers. _Hmmm_.

"Wh-what kind of … um … you …" Hinata began clumsily. She wanted to keep tact in mind … but she also wanted an _answer_ and so far, she'd learned he was a very reticent and personal guy.

"Are you going to be okay?"

She could hear him take another swig of tea. She thought he wasn't going to reply, but then he spoke.

"I have one more year."

Hinata's mouth parted with a speechless oh. _Wh-what?_ This person was going to live for only one more year … Then she regained her voice, and unthinkingly, she said, "Th … that's terrible…"

"I am not to die by this," said her captor.

"Of course you won't!" Hinata nodded.

"No," he said with a jarring firmness in his low voice.

"That's not what I meant."

His tone took Hinata aback. She made a small sound in her throat, but all words died in her mind. Hinata gazed at the direction of him in her darkness. She licked her lips, feeling lost and barren.

"How do you wish to die?" he asked suddenly.

"Wh … what?" Her lashes fluttered at his silence. "Um … I don't know."

"Would you rather die forgotten, or die remembered?"

Hinata shifted uncomfortably. "I … I ..."

"I apologize. Disregard that. I was," he sighed, "incoherent."

They bathed in the silence that followed afterward. But Hinata went from being stunned at the civility of his captor's language to being exasperated at his words.

"I would rather live!" she blurt.

A contemplative moment followed her words. Her captor delayed his responses often.

"Yes … I suppose most people would."

"What about you?" questioned Hinata – almost immediately regretting asking. "Um … I mean ..."

"I'm not most people," he said quietly.

With that grim statement, Hinata frowned. His words seem to reflect something strange, something she didn't want to think about.

She heard her captor get up and walk into the bathroom. She heard the door close behind him. After a while, the shower turned on, the rushing of water sounding powerful in the silence.


End file.
